Digital Commons Network^™

Learning From Experience: What Is Successful Respite During And Post-Pandemic?, Jennifer A. Crittenden, Darlene Sansone, Kristina Brant, Jennifer Odum, Caitlin O'Brien, Lisa Mccormick

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

The COVID-19 pandemic had immediate and long-lasting impacts on both kinship families and the organizations that serve them. During the pandemic, as families navigated health challenges, economic consequences, and school and daycare closures, relatives as parents programs (RAPPs) were challenged to surmount staffing and programming hurdles to meet family needs. Despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, RAPPs developed creative solutions to offer respite programming. Some of these programs continue to be used today, over four years after the start of the pandemic. This article describes the presentations and discussions that took place during a 90-minute workshop at the 2023 …

Comfort With Technology And Its Association With Depression Of Custodial Grandparents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sarah Pace, Yanfeng Xu, Theresa Harrison

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

During the COVID-19 pandemic, custodial grandparents faced heightened risks of depression due to increased social isolation and caregiving responsibilities. This study examines the association between comfort with technology and depression among custodial grandparents. Cross-sectional data were collected from 287 custodial grandparents across the United States between May 2021 and February 2022. Logistic regression analysis revealed that custodial grandparents’ higher comfort with technology was significantly associated with lower odds of depression (OR = 0.68, p < .001). Additionally, those who had reliable access to the internet had significantly lower odds of experiencing depression (OR = 0.78, p = .039). Furthermore, the need for telemental health services was associated with increased odds of depression (OR = 3.18, p = .003). These findings highlight …

What Lies Ahead? Future Directions For Grandparent Caregiving Research, Bert Hayslip

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Clearly, as a perusal of the literature will support, interest in the lives of grandparents raising grandchildren among practitioners and researchers has increased dramatically over the last decade. As we approach 50 years since the appearance of Meredith Minkler and her colleagues’ classic work on grandparent caregivers raising their grandchildren amid the crack cocaine epidemic, I take this opportunity at the 10th anniversary of GrandFamilies to reflect on what directions grandfamily research might take in the future.

Complete Issue Vol. 8, Issue 1

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Complete Issue Vol. 8, Issue 1 (10th Anniversary)

Mechanism Of Fermentation Products Of Puerariae Lobatae Radix In Delaying Organ Function Decline In Aging Mice, Zhang Yanjin, Ma Yage, Yang Xiongchao, Zhao Xinglu, Wang Yidan

Food and Machinery

［Objective］ This study aims to decipher the mechanism of the anti -aging effect of puerarin.［Methods］ A mouse model of D-galactose -induced subacute aging was established.The antioxidant capacity was assessed by measuring oxidative stress indicators in the serum,liver,and spleen.The spatial learning and memory ability of mice was assessed by the Morris water maze test.Pathological changes in the hippocampus of mice were observed by Nissl staining.The oxidative stress indicators of the brain tissue were measured to comprehensively investigate the effect of the fermentation products of Puerariae lobatae Radix (FP) on brain aging.Micro -CT scanning was performed to study the effect of FP …

Relationship Between Menstrual Cycle And Cognitive Functions In Women With Primary Dysmenorrhea, Ufuk Atlihan, Meltem Durakli Ulukök, Onur Yavuz

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: To evaluate the relationship between the change in pain intensity over days in the menstrual-cycle and cognitive functions in females having primary dysmenorrhea.Materials and Methods: One hundred thirty-four females with primary dysmenorrhea who were admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to November 2023 were assessed. Of these participants, 46 individuals who subjectively stated that their cognitive functions were affected, for whom neurology consultation was requested, and for whom patient data were available, were included in the study.Results: Significant decrease was seen in phonemic fluency and semantic fluency in patients who were evaluated on the 3rd day of menstrual …

Nurse Practitioner Autonomy: How The Rejection Of Sb 1700 Restricts Access To Necessary Healthcare In Rural South Texas, Cara Hudson

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Study Of Sensory Processing In Older Adults With And Without Dementia, Medi̇ne Nur Özata Değerli̇, Di̇dem Karaduman, Burcu Balam Doğu, Onur Altuntaş

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Sensory processing is affected by aging, and dementia may lead to changes in sensory processing. This study aimed to examine the differences in sensory processing and sensory modulation between older adults with and without dementia.Materials and methods: This study was designed as a comparative study of community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older with and without dementia. Participants and their caregivers were recruited at the occupational therapy clinic of a public hospital. They completed a sociodemographic information form and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile to assess sensory processing and sensory modulation.Results: The study included 120 older adults (60 with …

Proof Of Concept: Leveraging Large Language Models For Qualitative Analysis Of Participant Feedback, Andrew B. Crocker, Marcelo Schmidt, Juan Diego Tejeda, Howard Rodriguez-Mori

Journal of Extension

This proof-of-concept study explores the innovative application of Large Language Models (LLMs) for qualitative analysis of feedback from an Extension program, addressing the challenge of efficiently analyzing qualitative data. The study juxtaposes traditional human-led qualitative analysis with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven techniques, revealing the complementary strengths of human insights and AI efficiency. It underscores the potential of LLMs to enhance qualitative analysis while recognizing the need for human oversight to ensure depth and context accuracy. This research contributes to the fields of program evaluation and data analysis, offering a new paradigm for integrating advanced AI tools in qualitative research.

Identifying The Level Of Physical Activity (Pa) In Hospitality & Tourism, Kinesiology, And Recreation Students, Erick Kong, Dal-Hyun Moon, Alexandra Sandoval

ICHRIE Research Reports

Purpose – This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity (PA) on hospitality & tourism, kinesiology, and recreation students at California State University. The findings will help understand a direct impact on what is needed to be in place on campus in order to support and promote normal levels of PA as recommended by the World Health Organization.

Methodology/Design/Approach – PA was measured by a modified version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ) questionnaire. There were 116 students that participated in this study, respondents were mostly students who are majoring in hospitality & tourism, kinesiology, and recreation. …

Affect Regulation And Mortality Risk: The Role Of Allostatic Load, Amanda E. Ng, Tara Gruenewald, Robert-Paul Juster, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective:

Although growing evidence indicates that distinct affect regulation strategies (e.g., positive reappraisal, anger suppression) predict mortality risk, the biological processes involved remain understudied. We investigated the association of various affect regulation exposures with mortality risk while examining the role of allostatic load.

Method:

In 2004-2006, 1,941 participants from the Midlife in the United States longitudinal study completed validated scales assessing use of nine general and emotion-specific regulatory strategies (e.g., denial, anger expression). A standard deviation-based algorithm was also used to characterize how flexibly participants regulate their affect (lower, moderate, or greater variability). Participants further provided data on relevant covariates …

Morphological And Anatomical Diagnostic Features Of Aristolochia Clematitis L. Herb., Irina O. Suina, Olga V. Yakovleva, Inna I. Terninko, Maria N. Povydysh, Miroslava V. Ogloblina

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Diagnostic macro- and microscopic features of Aristolochia clematitis L. herb were established as an obligatory element for the standardization of medicinal plant raw materials. They are as follows: Stems are cylindrical, unbranched, leaves are simple, petiolar, leaf blade is entire, and broadly ovate to rounded-triangular. Leaf base is deeply reniform, tip pointy concave. Leaf epidermis cells tortuous, stomata of anomocytic type, and glands with essential oil are present. The stem and petiole have fascicles of open collateral type.

Effect Of Apathy On Exercise Adherence Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Chronic Health Conditions, Hiromichi Takeda, Katsuhiko Takatori

Asian Journal of Physical Therapy

Background: The association between apathy and physical activity levels in older adults is well established. It is essential for older adults with chronic health conditions not only to be more active but also to adhere to a personalized exercise prescription. However, the impact of apathy on exercise adherence remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of apathy on exercise adherence in older adults with chronic health conditions. Methods: This research was a secondary longitudinal data analysis of a behavior change intervention conducted through a randomized controlled trial. The participants included older adults aged 65 years and above (n …

Assessing Psychologists’ Clinical Knowledge Of Geriatric Depression: A Validation Study Of The Later Life Depression Knowledge Questionnaire, Abigail J. Laine

Dissertations

Because the US population is rapidly aging, generalist clinicians will increasingly be called upon to provide mental health services to older adults. Unfortunately, most generalist clinicians do not possess the specialized knowledge to provide clinical services to this population and will require training. Professional training efforts are currently hindered by the lack of psychometrically supported scales of clinical disorders specific to aging. Without such scales, it is difficult to evaluate the impact of continuing education programs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties and scale dimensionality of the Later Life Depression Knowledge Questionnaire (LLD-KQ), a …

Executive Summary: Clinical Practice Guideline Primary Care Management Of Overweight/Obesity In Adult Women, Getrude Tate Nguatem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project was a clinical practice guideline project focused on overweight and obesity management of adult women in primary care. The practice problem identified was the lack of an evidence-based clinical practice guideline to manage overweight/obesity in adult women. It was important to address this problem because overweight and obesity were significant health concerns at this clinical site in the United States and the world. The practice-focused question was the following: “Does the evidence support the development and Appraisal of Guideline for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument quality scoring of a clinical practice guideline on …

Mapping The Numbers Of Dementia In Brazil: A Delphi Consensus Study, Márlon Juliano Romero Aliberti, Claudia Kimie Suemoto, Jerson Laks, Paulo Caramelli, Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki, Nicolas Farina, Daniel Apolinario, Einstein Francisco Camargos, Eleonora D'Orsi, Gilberto Sousa Alves, Karolina Gouveia César-Freitas, Luís Fernando Rangel, Márcia Lorena Fagundes Chaves, Marcos Antonio Lopes, Marcus Vinicius Della Coletta, Matheus Ghossain Barbosa, Norberto Anizio Ferreira Frota, Ricardo Nitrini, Cleusa Pinheiro Ferri

Peninsula Medical School

OBJECTIVES: As the global dementia crisis intensifies, especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a pressing need for comprehensive prevalence data across diverse regions, including Brazil, where studies have been predominantly limited to affluent urban centers. This study aimed to conduct an expert consensus to determine the prevalence of all-cause dementia in Brazil, considering various age groups, sexes, and geographical areas.

METHODS: A Delphi consensus process with clinical and academic experts from across Brazil was conducted to provide dementia prevalence estimates in people aged ≥ 60 years living throughout Brazil for 2019. Each round consisted of answering structured questionnaires …

Assessment Of Environmental, Sociocultural, And Physiological Influences On Women's Toileting Decisions And Behaviors Using "Where I Go": Pilot Study Of A Mobile App, Abigail R Smith, Elizabeth R Mueller, Cora E Lewis, Alayne Markland, Caroline Smerdon, Ariana L Smith, Siobhan Sutcliffe, Jean F Wyman, Lisa Kane Low, Janis M Miller

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Little is known about women's decisions around toileting for urination and how those decisions influence moment-to-moment behaviors to manage bladder needs. The new smartphone app "Where I Go" captures such nuanced and granular data in real-world environments.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe participant engagement with "Where I Go", variation in novel parameters collected, and readiness for the data collection tool's use in population-based studies.

METHODS: "Where I Go" has three components: (1) real-time data, (2) short look-back periods (3-4 h), and (3) event location (GPS recorded at each interaction). The sample size was 44 women. Recording of real-time …

An Educational Intervention Focused On The Care Of Older Adults, Michele Orzehoski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is estimated that by 2050, individuals ages 65 and older will comprise 20% of the U.S. population. Further, research has demonstrated that among these aging adults, 80% have one chronic condition with 77% having at least two chronic conditions. Given this, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) developed the Age-Friendly Health System framework for the care of older adults centering on what matters, medication, mentation, and mobility, or the 4Ms. In the local organization, leadership determined there was a need for an older adult-centered care model given their population includes aging individuals. Thus, the purpose of this doctor of …

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Board Of Governors Meeting, February 5, 2025, Marshall University Board Of Governors

Board of Governors Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Elderly Return-Migration In The United States: Role Of Place Attributes And Individual Characteristics In Destination Choice, Rshood M. Khraif

The Geographical Bulletin

The return migration of the aged is analyzed using a logit model that integrates selected place attributes (i.e., climate, living costs, and health services), distance to the state of birth, and several personal characteristics (i.e., gender, marital status, age, and income). A five-percent Publ ic Use Microdata sample of the 1980 Census of the United States of America is utilized in this paper. Results indicate that a recently retired elderly person is likely to select his/ her place (state) of birth if it has a pleasant climate and low living costs. Also the less wealthy and single people are more …

Effects Of Initial Foot Position On Neuromuscular And Biomechanical Control During The Stand-To-Sit Movement: Implications For Rehabilitation Strategies, Woohyoung Jeon, Ashley Dalby, Xuanliang Neil Dong, Chung-Hyun Goh

Health & Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Initial foot position (IFP) is one of the important movement strategies that influence neuromuscular and biomechanical control during sit-to-stand (STS) movements. Similarly, stand-to-sit (StandTS) is vital in rehabilitation settings for evaluating strength and balance control during descending movements. Understanding how IFP impacts changes in biomechanical and neuromuscular movement control factors during StandTS can provide valuable insights for designing effective rehabilitation programs.

Methods: Twelve healthy young adults participated in this study, examining three symmetric IFPs: (1) REF (reference); (2) wide: each foot was shifted outwards by 30% from REF; (3) TO (toes-out): symmetric toes-out angle of 30° from REF. Kinematic …

Up-Island Council On Aging: Planning For The Future, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Up-Island Council on Aging (UICOA). The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury residents age 50 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (UICOA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of older residents of Up-island.

Aging In Uxbridge: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin E. Coyle, Katherine Burnes, Ceara Somerville

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Uxbridge. The goals of this project were to investigate the interests, preferences, and opinions of Uxbridge’s residents aged 55 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) and Senior Center objective to identify and serve the needs of all Uxbridge citizens 55 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Uxbridge, the …

Childhood Sexual Trauma, Substance Use, And Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among Older Adults Living With Hiv: A Mediational Analysis, Monique J. Brown, Josie Zhang, Prince Nii Ossah Addo, Amandeep Kaur, Daniel Amoatika, Elizabeth L. Crouch Ph.D., Steven A. Cohen

Faculty Publications

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is linked to substance use and lower antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. However, studies examining the mediational role of substance use between CSA and ART adherence are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the potential mediational role of substance use between CSA and ART adherence among older adults living with HIV (OALH) (n = 91). Mediation analyses assessed the direct and indirect relationships between CSA, substance use, and ART adherence. Statistically significant differences existed in substance use by gender (male vs. female: 12.3 vs. 9.97) and ART adherence by race (Black vs. …

The Association Of Physical Activity Fragmentation With All-Cause Mortality In Hispanics: A Prospective Cohort Study., Mauro F F Mediano, Yejin Mok, Shoshana H. Ballew, Franklyn Gonzalez, Daniela Sotres-Alvarez, Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Robert Kaplan, Jordan A. Carlson, Sarah K. Alver, Martha Daviglus, Olga Garcia-Bedoya, Kelly R. Evenson, Jennifer A. Schrack, Kunihiro Matsushita

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Physical activity fragmentation represents the frequency of transitioning from an active to sedentary state. The prognostic information of physical activity fragmentation is unclear in Hispanics/Latinos. This study examined the association of PA fragmentation with all-cause mortality in Hispanic/Latino adults.

METHODS: We investigated 11,992 participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) (18-74 yr; 52.2% women), from four United States urban communities (Bronx, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; San Diego, California), that wore an accelerometer for one week. Physical activity fragmentation was calculated using the active-to-sedentary transition probability (ASTP) as the reciprocal of the average active bout …

Protocol For A Field Trial Of A Hearing And Vision Support Intervention For People Living In Long-Term Care In Australia, Carly Meyer, Najwan El-Saifi, Naomi Rose, Kasia Bail, Colette Browning, Dayna Cenin, Antonio Ahumada-Canale, Megan Campbell, Tim England, Melanie Ferguson, Yuanyuan Gu, Reema Harrison, Chyrisse Heine, Lisa Keay, Sheela Kumaran, Iracema Leroi, Gerald Liew, Angelita Martini, Ralph Martins, John Newall, Smriti Raichand, Emma Scanlan, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Melinda Toomey, Johanna Westbrook, Piers Dawes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Hearing and vision impairments are prevalent among residents in long-term care settings. Hearing and vision impairments frequently go unsupported, affecting residents' quality of life and healthcare costs. This paper describes the protocol for a pre−post evaluation and process evaluation of a pragmatic sensory support intervention (SSI) that was developed with residents, informal caregivers and long-term care workers. Methods and Analysis: A prospective pre−post-intervention trial within long-term care will be conducted, including three groups: residents (n = 87), informal caregivers (n = 87) and long-term care workers (n = 40). Outcome measures include health-related quality of life and well-being measures …

Frailty And Sleep In Adult Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: A Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Report, Lauren C Daniel, Margaret M Lubas, Huiqi Wang, Mariana Szklo-Coxe, Kirsten K Ness, Annalynn M Williams, Daniel A Mulrooney, Rebecca Howell, Wendy Leisenring, Yutaka Yasui, Leslie L Robison, Gregory T Armstrong, Eric J Chow, Kevin R Krull, Tara M Brinkman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Young adult survivors of childhood cancer exhibit rates of frailty similar to adults several decades older without a cancer history. Frailty has been associated with sleep disturbances in non-cancer populations, but the relationship has not been examined in childhood cancer survivors who are known to exhibit elevated rates of sleep problems.

Aims: Examine associations between frailty and poor sleep quality in long-term survivors of childhood cancer.

Methods: This study utilized data from 9044 participants (> 5 years from diagnosis, Mage = 40.8 years [SD = 9.5]) in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Survivors' frailty status, chronic health conditions (CHC), …

Predictors Of Bi-Directional Transitions From Mild Cognitive Impairment In A Diverse Cohort, Mitzi M. Gonzales, Roman Fernandez, Sarah Kremen, Zaldy S. Tan, Amy E. Werry, Xueqiu Jian, John Hart, Donald Royall, Gladys Maestre, Sara Espinoza

School of Medicine Publications

Trajectories following a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are varied and may fluctuate over time. Among diverse ethnic and racial groups, social factors, medical comorbidities, and biases in assessment procedures may contribute to greater heterogeneity in the MCI diagnostic category and affect its prognostic significance for dementia. The study goal was to evaluate the frequency and variables associated with MCI transitions among non-Hispanic White (NHW) and Latinx older adults. Multistate Markov models characterized transitions across diagnostic states (cognitively unimpaired (CU), MCI, dementia) over ten years. Variables associated with transitions were assessed using hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals …

Exploring Key Factors Influencing Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged And Elderly Adult Population: A Machine Learning-Based Method, Ngoc Doan Thu Tran, Yi Zhen Tan, Sapphire Lin, Fang Zhao, Yee Sien Ng, Dong Ma, Jeonggil Ko, Rajesh Krishna Balan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Objective: This paper aims to investigate the key factors, including demographics, socioeconomics, physical wellbeing, lifestyle, daily activities and loneliness that can impact depressive symptoms in the middle-aged and elderly population using machine learning techniques. By identifying the most important predictors of depressive symptoms through the analysis, the findings can have important implications for early depression detection and intervention. Participants: For our cross-sectional study, we recruited a total of 976 volunteers, with a specific focus on individuals aged 50 and above. Each participant was requested to provide their demographic, socioeconomic information and undergo several physical health tests. Additionally, they were asked …

Trastornos Neurocognitivos, Depresión Y Factores Sociodemográficos En Habitantes De La Orinoquía-Amazonía De Colombia: Análisis Secundario Del Estudio Sabe [Neurocognitive Disorders, Depression, And Sociodemographic Factors In Residents Of The Orinoquia-Amazon Region Of Colombia: Secondary Analysis Of The Sabe Study], Maria Del Pilar Santacruz-Ortega, Bertha Lucia Avendaño-Prieto, Sonia Gisela Rios Cruz, Silvia Mejia-Arango

School of Medicine Publications

A partir de un análisis secundario de los datos derivados del estudio SABE Colombia 2015, con 1394 adultos de 60 años o más, se identificó el papel mediador de diferentes variables sociodemográficas y de calidad de vida en la relación entre depresión y trastornos cognoscitivos (leve y demencia) en el adulto mayor residente en la región de la Orinoquía-Amazonía de Colombia. Las asociaciones entre las variables de estudio (depresión y trastornos cognoscitivos) se establecieron con la prueba chi cuadrado, cuyo valor y significancia fueron χ² = 230.2 y p = .00. Los análisis de mediación se realizaron con el programa …